


In a Field of Golden Wheat

by HeathNils



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: AU 1850's, Alternate Universe, Female!Skiadrum - Freeform, Gajeel & Rogue BrOPT, Immigrant!Dragon-Slayers, Immigrant!Rogue, Immigration & Emigration, M/M, humanized!dragons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-04-23 08:39:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19147471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeathNils/pseuds/HeathNils
Summary: "Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of it'd hope; it can outlast anything."- UnknownRogue moved to Americas in the 1850's with his older brother, their parents as well as a few family friends to find a better life; To live the American Dream. He encounters tragedy and then trouble before he is rescued by a wealthy ranch owner named Gray who not only offers him a job and a place to stay but offers to help him find his family, teach him English and the American way. The seasons pass Gray and Rogue's bond deepens and the two men face a variety challenges on the prairie that will challenge their bonds; Challenges they will face head on, for better or for worse.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A fair warning to those of the community that are history buffs; Like with my previous work 'Thunder's Golden Emerald,' while some parts of the story have some historical significance, the rest of story's backdrop and time setting is still likely incorrect, inaccurate or fabricated. I want to remain as true to the history source as possible but at the same time I also will be a little whimsical as par for the Fairy Tail series in general.

Tensions had been rising between the Ottoman Empire and Russia for quite some time and the people on both sides and caught in the middle knew sooner or later a war was bound to break out and when the Russian Empire lost it's alliance with the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain and Sardinia; War indeed broke out.

The cause seemed to have started with the rights of Christian minorities in the Holy Land in the Ottoman Empire, the French promoting the rights of Roman Catholics and Russia promoting those of the Eastern Orthodox Church, causing a decline in the Ottoman Empire and the unwillingness of both Britain and France to allow Russia to gain more territory and power at Ottoman expense. The churches worked out their differences and came to an agreement, but the Czar of Russia, Nicholas I and the French Emperor Napoleon III refused to be reasoned with and the Czar issued an ultimatum that the Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman Empire be placed under his protection. Britain attempted to mediate and arranged a compromise that Nicholas agreed to but when the Ottoman Empire demanded different demands, the Czar refused and prepared for war and with the promises of support from France and Britain, the Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia on October 16th 1853.

Rogue, his family and his little farming village had been caught in the resulting crossfires of what be later named the Crimean War.

They had been leaving peacefully in the small village of Cetate, under the blissful impression that war could not possibly touch them or in any part of Romania. December 31st of 1853 would prove fatal for the village's poor decision of thinking. Rogue was with his mother Skiadrum tending to the chickens and cows while his older brother Gajeel and his father Metalicana were in the fields, making sure they were ready for the Spring when the first sounds of gunfire and cannon fire entered the frosty, still air.

For the next six days were hell on earth for the people of Cetate. Fires burned brightly in the skies and on the fields, shots pierced the peaceful silence, shattering glass and destroying homes, smoke choked the air and made it hard to breathe, blood and dead bodies of both the soldiers and civilians covered the lands until a cease fire was declared and both sides backed off. Once they felt safe enough, the people of Cetate eventually left the safety of their hideaways and were left with the task to bury and mourn for their dead and attempt to pick-up the shattered pieces and try to continue on with their lives but for Rogue's family; their was no picking up the pieces.

Metalicana had been killed in the 6 day long crossfire.

After they buried him, Skiadrum had decided that while the Russian and Ottoman Empire continued their senseless fighting, Romania was no longer safe for her or her sons; A feeling that was shared by her long-time closest friend Weisslogia, her now late husband's best friend, Igneel and his young sister, Grandeeny. For the next month, four of them pooled their money together, gathered what they could carry, gathered their children and decided they were going to leave for the New World; for America.

Something Igneel knew Metalicana had always dreamed about.

They made tracks for Genova, Italy to catch the next boat that would leave for the Americas; to start a new life. It was a grueling 25 days of travel and neither the adults or the children did or say anything as they were still left processing what was happening; Rogue was having a harder time processing what was happening.

He had lost the man he called his father.

He buried him with his own hands in the fields on their farm.

Now he was being uprooted from the place he had called home since the day of his birth. He was being taken by his mother for a place that simply could not possibly exist but at the same time it did existed and many a traveler who had returned to their village of Cetate in Romania to tell the stories of the _'fabled'_ lands.

It was early morning of March 3rd by the time they all reached Genova, Italy to catch their boat for the Americas that would take up to six weeks to fourteen weeks. All around the nine stood people from all walks of life, speaking in different languages carrying their own items, their own luggage, the noise buzzing and ringing in their ears. All Rogue and his fellow _'younglings'_ could do was stare at the large boat with wide eyes while their parents left to purchase the tickets.

"It's big." Wendy, the youngest said as she clutched her dolly tightly. "Really really big."

"Very." Rogue agreed.

"This thing's gonna take us to America?" Natsu, the fourth eldest and another childhood friend asked.

"It should." Gajeel, the eldest and Rogue's older brother said.

"Doesn't look safe." Sting, the second oldest and Rogue's best friend, said as he tilted his head to one side. "Looks like one breathe of air will flatten it."

"I don't like it." Natsu pouted. "Why do we have to leave our homes?"

"I don't like it either." Wendy whimpered, leaning against her cousin. "It's scary."

"What are going to do once we get there?" Sting asked, turning to Gajeel. "Are we still going to be farmers?"

"I dunno." Gajeel admitted. "I wouldn't mind a change--"

"What kind of change?" Rogue asked.

"Any kind." Gajeel shrugged. "I don't wanna be a farmer forever."

Before they could further ask as to what he meant, their parents returned, smiles on their faces and held out the tickets to each of them.

"Here we are."

"To America we go."

The children just nodded.


	2. Journey's End

It has been 9 weeks, 2 whole months since they had first left their homes in Romania, since they had last seen any land, all they could see was endless oceans of grey and blue. When the crew members had announced-- or at least, they think that was what they were saying it-- that they were reaching land. The 5 of them were quick to run to the top deck, to look for themselves.

"That must be America." Wendy Marvell smiled as struggled to peer over the railing. "It's so pretty."

Wendy Marvell was a tiny, petite girl with fair skin, long, dark blue hair that reaches down to her waist, with two bangs framing her face which reach down to her chest and her brown eyes. A sweet girl, helpful, timid, very friendly and very optimistic. She was the youngest of their little clan at 12.

"I wonder if it's as big as people claimed it is."

Sting Eucliffe was the second eldest of their clan. At 19, he was a slim, yet muscular, toned young man with bright blond messy hair, with slanted, dark blue eyes; above the right one is a thin, diagonal scar he gained in a childhood accident. His left ear was adorned by an earring, a prominent metal pendant that is crystalline in shape. 

"It should be big enough," Natsu grinned, "Big enough that I'll kick all your butts!"

Natsu Dragneel, 16, was a lean, muscular young man with a slightly tanned skin, large golden eyes and messy pink-colored hair. Natsu had a scar on the right side of his neck from a childhood incident involving a harvesting sickle that he hid underneath his scale-pattern scarf; a gift from Igneel on his 6th birthday. His most prized possession.

"In yer dreams pinklette." Gajeel sneered. "If you couldn't beat me back in our homelands then what makes you think you can beat me in America?"

Gajeel Redfox, 24, the oldest of them all, was a tall and muscular man with long, messy and unkempt dark hair that was barely kept in check by a dark red bandana tied around his forehead. He had dark red eyes that missed nothing with slitted dark pupils, no visible eyebrows and most of his exposed body was covered in sets of simple, round studs, three of them above each of his eyes; acting as _'eyebrows'_ of sorts, two on each side of his nose and two on his chin, just below his mouth. His ears are adorned by two sets of five earrings each while he sported four studs on each of his forearms, with his right one being covered in scars from 6 days of violence and horror that he bore with pride.

In short, Gajeel wasn't a man to mess with.

"Shut up!" Natsu hissed. "I am gonna kick your butt! Just watch me!"

"Yeah... Like ta see ya try."

"I wonder if it will be just like home." Rogue smiled. "I miss it."

Rogue Redfox, 18, was a slim man with rather messy dark hair that reached down to his shoulders with some strands pointing upwards on top of his head and some were brushed to the right side of his face covering up his right eye, both eyes of which were bright red. Gajeel's little brother; his 'mini-me' or 'twin' the villagers used to joke, Gajeel was always looking out for the smaller ravenette, like a good big brother, teaching him, guiding him and helping where needed. Nobody messed with Rogue unless they wanted to imbue Gajeel's wrath on them.

"It's pretty." Wendy said happily.

Gajeel grinned, shading his eyes as he pressed himself against the railing. "Yeah. Wish the ship would sail faster."

"Yeah. I can't wait to walk on land again." Sting beamed.

"I can't wait to run around in all the fields Dad promised!"

Rogue smiled at his friends' and brother's enthusiasm but a violent shiver roared through his body; an action that didn't go unnoticed by his older brother. He jolted when a large hand touched his thin arm and he looked to those worried dark-red eyes.

"You cold?"

"A little."

Gajeel nodded and began buttoning the front of his jacket. He pulled it off and placed it around Rogue's shoulders, buttoning the top button. 

"Better?"

Rogue nodded but sighed. "But... Won't you get cold?"

"Nah." Gajeel smirked, pounding his chest. "Too tough."

"Maybe we should stand somewhere the isn't so strong," Wendy suggested with a smile, pulling her shawl a little more closer as she grabbed Rogue's hand, "Come on. Let's go over to the other side."

The others nodded and the five of them began making their way to the center of the ship, near a large coil of rope that was stacked as high as the barrels around it. They made their way to the center, in the middle of barrels and stack of rope big enough to seat the five of them comfortably. It was warmer in this small space but the wind still whistled overhead, Sting pulled his satchel onto his lap, pulling out chunks of dry, hard bread and passed them out to the group. Wendy smiled as she accepted the offered piece, offering the piece to her doll before she joined her older 'brothers' and chewed on the unsavory piece.

"What will you guys do first once we get to America?" She asked.

"I wanna pick an apple," Natsu grinned, "And take a big bite! That's what I'm gonna do."

"Apples." When Rogue said the word, he, along with the rest of them could almost taste the crisp, delicious fruit. "I miss those."

"So do I."

"Me too."

"I hear they are everywhere in America." Rogue said. "Cherries, pears-- Even peaches."

"And we might get fresh bread for once," Sting agreed, wincing as he chewed on his piece, "You think we'll be there by tonight?"

"Not if another storm passes through," Gajeel answered, peering up at the sky above them. "Those clouds don't look very promising."

They could see through the cracks of the rope and barrels the sailors running around tying down various items and rigging, adjusting the sails. They peeked over the top of the rope when they heard a familiar voice calling out to them.

"Gajeel! Natsu!" It called. "Wendy! Rogue! Sting! Where are you?"

Igneel Dragneel had stepped out onto the ship deck, the wind billowing around him, his black wool jacket and his hair fluttering in chilly wind like a pair of gull's feathers in flight as he walked across the deck. He was a rather large and well-built man, the type of person nobody could possibly misplace, even with the best of efforts with tanned from long hours working in the fields, long, dark red hair that was barely kept in place by low ponytail and slanted, dark yellow eyes. Like Gajeel, he too, was covered in an array of scars, though his weren't just centered around his arm and many of them didn't just come from solely the battle of Cetate.

He was Natsu's father.

"Boys?" He called over the wind. "Little One?"

"We're over here Dad!" Natsu called, pushing himself up onto his knees and peering over one of the barrels.

"Oh thank the Twin Gods," Igneel breathed, striding toward them in 5 easy steps, "Come inside. The lot of you. Another storm is coming and they say it could be more dangerous then the last one. The coast is rather rocky and the wind is getting stronger."

Igneel quickly lifted Wendy with ease and placed her on his hip, Wendy quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, while he motioned for the four boys out of their little hideaway. "Come now. Let's get below deck where we will be safe."

The dark and menacing clouds rolled in like boiling water in Grandeeny's black-iron cooking pot; Quick and fast. The surface of the once calm and bright blue ocean waves were now snow-white and crashed violently into the sides of ships, water sloshing across the wooden deck. The water sloshed across Rogue's boots as he scrambled along with Natsu and Sting to get up and get toward the opening that lead into the hold, the ship suddenly listed causing Rogue to tumble back into Gajeel.

"I gotcha' kid."

"Hurry now!" Igneel urged, holding on tightly to Wendy as he pushed Natsu and Sting forward. "Quickly! Quickly!"

They quickly climbed down the ladder into the hold, Rogue could feel his spirits sinking once more once he viewed the _'space'_ that had became his home during these 2 months. Of course, Rogue didn't want to get washed overboard and into the unforgiving waves but it was just awful to stay in this small room. For the last 2 months, Rogue's family, along with twenty other families, from different parts of Europe had been cramped together in this small room. Each family was given and shared one of two of the bunks that lined the walls of the cramped room and everything any one of them was able to carry, everything they owned, was stored into large trunks that stood at the ends of the bunks.

"Everyone safety inside?"

Rogue wrinkled his nosee.

The air was stale, sour and tended to smell worse when someone fell sick, be it from seasickness or the simple cold. Fresh air was near impossible when the sailors would decide to lock the trapdoor against the ocean as they did for the storm. The hold was surrounded by suffocating darkness, even in the middle of the afternoon with only a single oil lamp lantern that swung and sputtered over some tables in the middle of the room. Rogue could barely see his mother, Skiadrum, who was lying on her side in the narrow bunk she shared with her sons.

She was a pretty woman, petite with a voluptuous figure and fair skin similar to Rogue's. She, like her two sons, had long dark hair that was tied in a loose braid and warm red eyes. She turned on her other side, facing them, a smile on her face.

"There you are," Skiadrum smiled, her arms opened as Rogue and Gajeel crawled beside her. "I asked Igneel to find the both of you. I can't seem to see how the five of you can hide yourselves so well on such a small ship."

"We went to see America." Rogue answered, nuzzling into her neck as those comforting arms wrapped around him. "We saw it before storm blew up."

"I see." Skiadrum sighed, leaning back into Gajeel once he finally made himself comfortable behind her. "I had prayed there would be no more storms so that Weisslogia and I can finally and properly recover in time we reached America."

Since they first left their village, Skiadrum had been feeling a little ill but once they made it aboard, it seemed it get worse; The storms not helping. Weisslogia started displaying similiar symptoms and like Skiadrum, he had taken to bed rest.

"You'll be strong soon. I'm sure of it." Rogue smiled, looking up into his mother's gentle eyes. "Don't lose heart, Mama."

Skiadrum smiled, running her hand through his fringe before placing a kiss to his forehead. "Of course not."

Silence fell over them as the wood creaked around them, the wind now howled like the hungry pack of wolves that would roam the forests around their village. Rogue could hear the angry waves beating itself against the ship's hull; next to their bunk and the ship suddenly made the motion that it was about to tip over. Rogue began to feel nervous, anxious and bit queasy. Outside there was a loud crash and Skiadrum was quick to pull Rogue into a tight hug and Gajeel with her.

"Don't fall off the bunk, my little shadow," she warned. "Keep close to your brother and I."

Rogue nodded.

He could hear the buckets in the dingy room, tumbling over one another while Weisslogia's trunk skidded and thudded across the wet and rather moldy floor. The lantern above them swung wildly around before it finally came undone and dropped to floor with a loud smash; the pieces skittering underneath one of the many tables.

"Mother," Rogue breathed, barely hearing his own words above the roar of the storm, "Sting told me that coast is full of rocks. Will... Will we be blown into them?"

"Let's not think about the rocks, Love," Skiadrum said, "Let's instead think about Zeref's letter instead. You boys remember Igneel's eldest son, Zeref Dragneel?"

"A little." Rogue answered.

"He and I used to go to school together." Gajeel said.

"Zeref left Romania when he was Sting's age, almost 10 years ago." Skiadrum said. "He too, like us, believed he could make himself a better life in America."

Both boys nodded.

"Igneel wrote to him 2 years ago on how the battle of the Ottoman Empire and Russia that would come to our village," Skiadrum continued. "Igneel heard back from him several months ago, telling us about his new farm. The land is rich and he's allowing us to move in with him and his family. To help us."

"In Min... Minnie-Sota?" Gajeel asked, stumbling over the rather strange word.

"Yes. Minnesota." Skiadrum smiled. "Now one of you share something with me."

"I heard Zeref got married." Gajeel said. "To an American woman named Mavis."

Rogue nodded, smiling. He had always thought that part was the best part of the story-- His favorite part of the story.

"She sounds really beautiful." Rogue said.

"Yes." Skiadrum said. "Igneel's told me they had given Igneel a grandson, a nephew for Natsu. A son--"

"Larcade." Gajeel answered.

"Do you think we'll be friends?" Rogue asked.

"Of course," Skiadrum smiled, running her fingers through her son's hair. "We'll be living in our own cabin, on the same property. They'll be right next door to us. As would Grandeeny and Wendy, Igneel and Natsu and Weisslogia and Sting."

Rogue nodded.

The waves still pounded against the hull of the ship. In the dark hull, he clutched onto his mother tighter and tighter, feeling Gajeel's arm wrapped the both of them as he tried to imagine a farm next door to Natsu's older brother. He just hoped this American home would be just like the one he had left behind in Romania; One with a familiar maple tree just by the front door.

* * *

 

Morning had finally come and the storm had disappeared. Rogue believed he finally understood what it must've felt like when someone dumped water on a house cat. His shirt, trousers and the jacket he burrowed from Gajeel was wet and stained while his boots were soaked but everyone was safe. The sky was a clear blue and the ship was now sailing toward the green land once more and Rogue watched the seagulls swoop and dive across the water's surface as he stood on the deck with Natsu and Skiadrum, who felt well enough to leave the bunk.

"I can smell the Earth again," Igneel's voice boomed, a large grin splitting across his face. "How I missed it."

"I've missed it too." Grandeeny smiled, squeezing Wendy's hand. "It'll be nice to be on land again." 

Grandeeny Marvell was a small, petite woman, much like Skiadrum and was the younger sister of Igneel and mother of Wendy. She wasn't as voluptuous as Skiadrum but she did have the figure in all the right places with long, silver-blonde hair that she had neatly braided into a crisp bun with a silver ribbon. She had soft, ivory skin and beautiful gentle, cyrstal-blue eyes and full red lips.

Weisslogia Eucliffe, who took felt well enough to leave his bunk, smiled as he leaned against the railing next to his son, Sting. He was a rather _'well-seasoned'_ man of 58 with messy snow-white hair that reached his shoulders and tied into a low ponytail and matching beard. He had warm and gentle golden eyes that shone well beyond his years.

"I'll admit," Weisslogia sighed, "So many times I had lost hope and feared we'd never make it to America in one piece. Or at all."

"You are braver then most." Skiadrum smiled patting his arm.

"Not as brave as you and Grandeeny." Weisslogia smiled, placing his hand over hers. "You suffered worse then most are willing to face. You have more heart then Igneel and myself combined. We, as a family, are proud of you. You, Grandeeny and the children. We are proud."

"Thank you."

Gajeel, who had left to spoke with some of the sailors, finally made his way toward them. He pushed through the excited, gathered crowd that had appeared on the deck. He was grinning brightly.

"According to the sailors, we should be arriving in New York by tomorrow morning."

"Oh that's wonderful news!" Grandeeny beamed. "We'll have a decent breakfast and Skiadrum, Wendy and I can finally find a place to wash our clothes."

"One problem." Gajeel said, gaining everyone's attention.

"Problem?" The women blinked.

"What's the problem, son?" Igneel asked.

"They say we won't be allowed to leave the ship, until the health inspector clears us." Gajeel answered

"What's a _'health inspector'_?" Wendy asked.

"A doctor that will look at everyone here on the ship." Gajeel explained. "They have to make sure we're all healthy and strong before we can walk onto America."

"A-And if they're not?" Wendy trembled.

Gajeel sighed. "Then they can't come to America. They'll have to go back."

"No!"

"But Dad and Skiadrum are sick!" Sting cried, looking positively alarmed as he wrapped his arms around the man who chuckled. Rogue mimicked the motions with his mother. "They can't take him from me! He's my dad! He's all I have left!"

"Same with Mother!" Rogue declared.

Natsu was quick to latch himself to Igneel and Wendy with Grandeeny, both looking positively scared now.

"They can't take you!"

"I don't want to leave without you!"

"They won't take Skiadrum or Weisslogia away," Igneel assured with a warm smile, hugging Natsu tightly with one arm. "They will not separate us. Any of us. Your parents only have seasickness. Everyone gets that when on a ship."

"Yes." Gradeeny assured. "They will only be looking illnesses like typhoid and cholera. Illnesses that can kill people in small or large groups if spread."

"And nobody on this ship has anything dangerous." Gajeel smiled, patting Rogue on the shoulder. "We're all happy and healthy."

"That's right." Skiadrum smiled, lifting Rogue's face up. "See, children? You need not worry. Come my Little Shadow, let me see you smile. Tomorrow we'll all be in New York and then we journey toward Minnesota. To our new home."

* * *

 

When their ship finally docked in the harbor outside New York and the health inspector, a rather wizened man, gave them the all clear, Gajeel, Sting and Natsu raced each other down the gangplank. Wendy, Grandeeny and Skiadrum followed close behind while Igneel and Weisslogia went next, then Rogue.

He gupled.

Rogue was just bursting to run down there with with Sting, Gajeel, Natsu and Wendy, turning in the grass he saw by the docks. He slowly stepped down off the gangplank and it was as if the ground suddenly seemed to spin around him; his stomach churning and he felt like was about to throw up as he stumbled into Gajeel's open arms.

"Don't worry. I gotcha Ryos."

Rogue held tightly to Gajeel's arms. "Why... Why am I so dizzy?"

In Romania, Rogue had always remembered it being steady under his feet. But apparently, here in America, it seemed to sway and roll like the ship he had just left.

"You got so used to rocking and violent tumbling off the ship," Gajeel chuckled. "You're gonna have to get used to land all over again."

For awhile, Rogue remained still, leaning against Gajeel as he waited for his stomach to settle. He looked back toward the ship, realizing that when he and his family first boarded the ship, no one knew what to expect. There had been violent storm after violent storm on the sea, nearly everyone had fallen sick but at long last, they had made to America. They were free from the violence, free from the bloodshed and free from death, though he wished his father, Metalicana was here.

To be here with them.

_'I wonder what will happen to us now?'_

Rogue was more curious then he was afraid and with wobbly legs, he allowed Gajeel to lead him up the path into the park near the dock.

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to Hiro Mashida
> 
> Original characters belong to me
> 
> All reviews and comments much appreciated. :3


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